June – Scene 7

Scene 7: Young Women’s Oppression

Using image theatre, the young women developed a visual sketch to show the community the multiple oppressions they face every day which stop them from achieving their dreams. Drawing on their own personal experiences and those they witness every day in the community they presented a short but visually arresting scene to draw attention to, and open a community dialogue about, the repression of young women within the community, and often within their own families. One young woman who dreams of being ‘economically vibrant’ and independent is slowly brought to her knees by the competing demands put upon her. These include relatives who try to steal her assets after the death of her parents; her husband who announces she cannot go out to work and must stay at home to concentrate on domestic duties; her grandmother who tells her she cannot dress in the modern way and must respect the traditional culture; a sugar daddy who tries to tempt her with material gifts; and the wider community which tries to silence her by telling her that as a young woman she does not have a voice. After she is slowly brought to her knees the young woman breaks free of her oppressions to cry “We have minds, we have skills, everything a man can do we can do! We need freedom from oppression!”